The Hirashi Chronicles
by Orisaire
Summary: Meet Hirashi, a boy who shares two powerful bloodlines. Travel with him across the Naruto universe as he finds new friends and enemies. There'll be a dash of romance here and there with and between familiar characters. 6th chapter UP!
1. Memory

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Naruto universe; so don't sue me if you think I do. I do, however, own Hirashi and Serra.

The Hirashi Chronicles 

Chapter 1: Memory

_BOOM!_

_A thunderous crash erupted from the center of the peaceful village of Saib._

"_The Kryubi is here!! The Kryubi is HERE!!!" The hysterical shout rang strong and true, jolting the villages from their unwary slumber. _

_From his vantage point at the window, the young boy saw the Kryubi thrash its majestic nine-tails about, cutting wide swathes into the village houses. Ninjas threw themselves valiantly at the enemy, sacrificing their lives to save those who were fleeing to the nearby village of Konoha._

_The demon fox suddenly leapt into the air and landed right in front of the young boy's window. A casual swish of its tail removed the rooftop and upper levels of the house. Surprisingly though, the one-year old was unharmed. _

_Letting out a piercing scream, the little one tried to escape the demon's wrath, inadvertently attracting the monster's attention. A terrible visage suddenly filled his sights as the Kryubi turned its face towards him._

_The lad could easily see and almost touch the silverish- yellow fangs of the demon, which were coated with deadly saliva. The hot, chakra-charged breath of the demon seared his throat and seemed to scorch his skin. The child may have been young, but he knew enough to fear the owner of the blood-red eyes that pierced into his very soul._

_The monster stretched his humongous jaws to swallow his prey whole. It's breath threatened to suffocate the young kid. Out of the corner of his eye, the boy saw ninjas trying to draw the Kryubi's attention away, but they were easily fended off by its massive nine tails. He saw his impending doom in the vast darkness of the demon's mouth. _

_Paralyzed with fear, he could only whimper in terror and feel hot, wet tears flow down his chubby cheeks. His spirit seemed to have detached from his body and he was simply watching another child about to be killed by this great evil._

"_I will not allow you to have my son!" The challenge rang out from his father, bringing a glimmer of hope to the young boy's eyes. Strong arms grasped the deadly jaws of the Kryubi in a vice-like grip. _

"_Save him, Tasuni." His silver-eyed mother suddenly wrenched the boy away from his position. Using his own Byakugan in his left eye, the kid looked back desperately for his father. Sai Uchiha took one last look at his son and sighed in resignation as the powerful demon flung him upwards and crushed him between its teeth. _

_The demon was still not satisfied with the sacrifice lying between its teeth. It smelt the scent of its prey and lunged forward. It would not let it go. Soon, it sighted the female ninja who had taken its quarry away from it. A mighty leap had her in its jaws. The crunch of her body was sickeningly sweet to the beast. The boy had been flung into the dense forest below. _

_He did not see the decisive battle between the Kryubi and the Fourth Hokage. He did not see the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice to seal the Nine-tails fox demon inside the body of a child. He barely even saw the death of his mother. But he did remember something through the intense shock of the events. His name was Hirashi._


	2. An interview with the Hokage

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1

The Hirashi Chronicles 

Chapter 2: An interview with the Hokage

"Iruka, how is he?" The wizened old man questioned in his characteristically raspy voice. More wrinkles appeared on the already over-creased forehead.

"He's living with the Tomiya family at present. They were close friends of Sai and Tasuni. He qualifies as an A grade ninja in my class, amongst, if not, the best." Iruka explained.

"He doesn't seem to be making many friends, though." He said thoughtfully.

"I see..." The Third Hokage's eyebrows narrowed slightly and he tilted his head slightly forward to meet Iruka's eyes. "I understand why you feel that Naruto is a larger priority right now. However, you must understand, Iruka, that Hirashi is just as, if not _more_ important than Naruto even if he doesn't carry a demon spirit within him. "

"His entire clan sacrificed itself to slow down the Kryubi and enable the Fourth to save our dear village." The Third's eyes glazed over as he recalled the incident. "We _must _recognize that sacrifice!" He paused for the statement to sink in.

"The other survivor, the girl. She has been sent away?" The Third asked.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. To her closest relations in the village of Mists. But..." Iruka stammered.

"No, buts, Iruka. You _must_ not ignore your other duties just to personally oversee Naruto. Do you realize that both of his bloodlines may manifest in him? Do you understand the possible ramifications if that is possible?" The Third's voice rose sharply, as did his regal bearing.

"I am truly sorry, Hokage-sama. I will watch him closely to see any changes." Iruka bowed low and readied to leave.

"One more thing, Iruka." The Third Hokage sat back down on his ornamental chair. "I wish to interview him tomorrow."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I will inform him to meet you here at noon." Iruka bowed once again and leapt away.

Iruka found Hirashi studying a few ninja scrolls in a clearing not far from the village of Konoha. For once, he paused and observed the boy he was responsible for. Hirashi was of medium build and boasted a very well toned body underneath his skintight ninja outfit. His hair was mostly black, but there were also streaks of dark blue, probably inherited by his mother. His face was nothing short of handsome with finely chiseled features, a well-rounded, yet not chubby chin and a beautiful aquiline nose. The silver left eye and the blood pigmented right eye only complemented these fine traits.

However, it was these eyes, which shunned him from the rest of his peers. Only the Hyuuga clan was blessed with the Byakugan and none only had one of it. Hirashi was an anomaly and that made him as dangerous as the Kryubi.

Iruka started as he felt the cold sharp edge of a kunai dagger pressed against his neck. Another razor-sharp point nudged against his lower back. _Was this the start of an enemy invasion?_

"Surprise, surprise, Iruka-sensei." The kunai daggers swiftly returned to their holsters as Hirashi bowed in mock obeisance to his teacher. "I didn't think that you'd fall for such a simple illusion." He laughed.

Iruka sighed as he heard the magical laughter of youth. _I must be getting old to be outsmarted by my own students._

"So what did you want me for, sensei?" Hirashi's expression turned serious as he awaited further instructions.

Iruka saw no point in concealing his intent. "You have an interview with the Hokage tomorrow at noon. " He paused, about to say, "Don't be late.", when he realized its redundancy. No one in his right mind would be late for an interview with the Hokage.

"You're late." The Third Hokage reprimanded.

"I had trouble finding directions." Hirashi said blandly. "Everyone I asked seemed to think I was an assassin from another village coming to murder you."

The Third's eyebrows raised noticeably in disbelief. "It's the largest building in the entire village!" _I didn't think he would be that stupid._

"Well, I didn't think the Hokage would work at such an obvious location." The young ninja shrugged indifferently.

The Third smiled. _Now I know what game he's playing. Let's see what he thinks of my next move._ "So...how's the weather recently?"

_He's caught on to me, but I shall play on._ "Oh, it's been hot for the past few days. Many cute girls in bikinis are going to the beach. None of them seem to catch my eye though." Hirashi gestured vaguely at his left eye.

"You play the game well, young Hirashi." The Third Hokage conceded his defeat.

"Game? What game?" The feigned ignorance fooled neither of them.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we? I am interested to know if you have any special..." The Hokage paused to think of a suitable word. "...abilities, perhaps."

"No. Not that I know of." Hirashi was direct and to the point. He ran his right hand unconsciously through his blue-streaked black hair.

"You _will_ tell me if you do." The Third's stern comment was met with a cool gaze.

"That's if its to my advantage." Hirashi replied matter-of-factly. "I _fight_ for myself." Without waiting for a dismissal, he left.

I foresee many future problems, the Third mused.


	3. The New Student A Princess?

Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1

The Hirashi Chronicles 

Chapter 3: The New Student – A Princess?

"She's coming back to Konoha?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. She seems to have her half-uncle, the Mizukage, around her little finger. Reports show that she has earned quite a name for herself in the Village of the Mists. "

"I see. Let's hope this venture will improve the relations between our villages. Who are we sending over to them?"

"A boy from the Gakiri Clan. Not our best, but not our worst either. He is, though the most tactful in my senior class of rookies."

"I'll leave the rest up to you then, Iruka. Make sure she feels at home."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." He left.

The class stood up and greeted their sensei as he strode boldly into the classroom. Iruka smiled and raised his right hand, signaling for the class to be seated. With his left hand he suddenly flung a concealed handle-less kunai at an unsuspecting Hirashi.

The kunai soared through the air, heading directly for Hirashi.

Hirashi blinked.

The kunai buried itself deep in the wall behind him, barely an inch above his forehead.

"I'm surprised you didn't duck, Hirashi." Iruka grinned like a schoolboy, not many students had previously been so gutsy. _Or was it ability? _

"There was no need to, Iruka-sensei." Hirashi replied simply, shrugging as he sat back down on his sit.

Iruka raised his eyebrows slightly._ Hirashi certainly was in a class of his own. _

"As some of you might have guessed, we are training in the art of throwing ninja weapons accurately today. This is especially important since it is a valuable skill to be used in the field and this is your last year in the academy. Hopefully." Iruka paused as he was awarded with a few laughs.

"However, before I continue, I will explain the absence of Tas Gakiri." Iruka paused once again as discussions broke out amongst the students. He noticed that only Hirashi was, as usual, unperturbed y the events.

"He has been sent on an exchange program with the Village of the Mists." There were several groans from Tas's close friends and a few sighs from the girls seated at the front row. "Don't worry, he will be returning soon. On the other hand, you might not want him to come back after you have met his counterpart. Her name is -"

"- Serra, Princess of the Waters." The clear, resounding voice rang throughout the classroom. Everyone's ears perked up for another message from that melodious voice.

Only Hirashi realized that she had no surname. She was also clanless.

As Serra stepped into the classroom and took a ceremonious bow towards Iruka, there was no lack of gasps of astonishment or whistles from the students. The body that held that enticing voice was no less seductive than expected.

Even though only at the tender age of twelve, the dark ninja outfit, cut at midriff, accentuated delicate curves and the well-trained muscles of an experienced ninja. Her mane of golden brown hair was barely restrained by a small, light blue ribbon, which contrasted with the dark blue pupils of her eyes. These held an uncommon depth and mystery. Complemented with high cheekbones and full, lustrous lips, this was a girl in her prime, leaving nothing to be desired.

All eyes followed her elegant gait towards their sensei. All, that is, except for Hirashi's. Hirashi looked over at his best friend, Haibach Tomiya. Haibach had a glazed expression on his face and was drooling unconsciously at the right edge of his mouth.

Hirashi looked around. Many other boys were in a similar state, some better, some worse. The girls were looking at Serra too, not with desire, but with intense envy. He sighed. _Well this can't be good for our class spirit._ His eyes returned to the scene at hand.

"I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei. I just wanted to introduce myself to them. It would be more personal, don't you think so?" Serra smiled innocently at Iruka. "I want to be on _good_ terms with my new classmates." She continued, melting the hearts of every boy in the room.

Iruka was only slightly flustered, having had the time to become more accustomed with the young beauty. "It's all right, Serra. Why don't you take a seat next to Motoko?" He suggested.

"Actually, I'd rather sit next to Hirashi. If you don't mind sensei?" Iruka's eyes narrowed. For a brief instant, Serra and Hirashi locked their eyes. _Who is she? How does she know my name?_ For once, Hirashi was disturbed.

He took a quick look around to break away from Serra's enchanting, deep gaze. He noticed the rest of the boys staring at him with eyes full of hatred. The girls were also studying him in a new light, "checking him out" to see what had caught the new girl's eye. Hirashi blushed slightly, not being used to their scrutiny. _She's certainly not improving my social life by much._

"Why didn't you tell me?" A hiss sounded from his left. Hirashi gazed back into the accusing eyes of his best friend.

"I..." Hirashi started as he felt slender, but firm fingers rest upon his shoulder.

"I'd thought you'd be happy with me here." Serra whispered gently, caressing him with her words and a bright smile. Hirashi was at a loss for words and blushed furiously as he felt his pants tighten even more when her hand brushed down his back.

"I hope we can become good friends." Serra flashed another heartbreaking smile and offered her beautiful hand to Hirashi. He shook it hesitantly, cringing at the first touch. _There's still a lot I don't know about you, Serra. But I'll find out. Sooner or later. Probably sooner. _

Hirashi got his feelings back into control and planned how he would deal with the situation.

The lesson progressed on.


	4. The First Lesson

Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1

The Hirashi Chronicles 

Chapter 4: The First Lesson

"Okay students, listen up!" Iruka tried to put on a stern demeanor to quell the rowdiness in his students. They were, after all, in the forest and the young ninjas-to-be could not help but rejoice in their freedom from the confinement of their classroom.

Iruka raised his hand again to call for silence. The banter gradually diminished to a few soft murmurs. "I want everyone to form into groups of three. Choose your partners wisely. These will be the people you will take the graduation exam with and possibly the teams you will be assigned to when you become Genins." The clamor rose again as friends discussed and negotiated fervently to determine the teams.

"One more thing: There must be at least one girl in each team." Iruka grinned as he heard many groans from boys and girls alike. _This means that I'll have 17 teams of two boys and one girl, a suitable Genin group. I think I'll have to put Hirashi and Serra together so I can keep an eye on both of them._

He smiled broadly as he approached his two victims and told them the 'good ' news.

"Wha-?" Hirashi's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. Serra was more accommodating and seemed to like the idea. She smirked and twirled a stray strand of hair from her fringe.

"Thanks for helping me convince him, Iruka- sensei!" She beamed at the shell-shocked boy next to her.

Seeking to remedy the 'situation', Iruka came up with a suitable compromise. "Look, Hirashi. If it's any consolation, I'll let you choose the last member of the team."

Hirashi seemed to recover some semblance of his composure. "I would be glad to be on the same team as Serra, Iruka-sensei." He forced a smile. "But it would be great if my best friend, Haibach, could join us. "

"Done!" Iruka admired the boy's adaptability to the situation. He would make a great ninja. "I'll leave you to inform him then." A scroll materialized in Iruka's hand and he jotted down their names in the first slot of a table. The names of the members of other teams quickly followed as each came to report to him.

Hirashi found his best friend sitting under an old elm tree. "Haibach, you're in my team with Serra." Hirashi announced frankly, jerking his thumb back to point at the girl trailing behind him.

"Huh?" Haibach's eyebrows narrowed. The sharp jaw line, which marked members of his clan, tightened. "Did I hear you right, buddy? " His voice was tinged with bitterness, but mostly disbelief.

"Yes." Hirashi hauled the brown-haired boy to his feet. "Now if you're going to have a chance with her, you better get your act together and introduce yourself." Hirashi whispered fiercely into Haibach's ear.

Before he knew it, Haibach was propelled towards Serra. "So you guys are not together?" He managed to slip the question to Hirashi.

"Of course not, dolt. Whatever gave you that idea?" Hirashi replied. I do have my own suspicions on how she knows my name though, but that is my personal problem, not yours.

In an instant, Haibach was nervously fidgeting in front of his first crush. His eyes roamed everywhere except her. He barely even felt the elbow from Hirashi, prompting him to talk.

"Hi, I'm Haibach." He stuttered.

"It's nice meeting you, Haibach. I hope that we'll become good teammates." Serra offered her widest, sweetest smile to the blushing boy before her.

"Well, I..." Haibach started nervously.

"Let's go, guys. Iruka-sensei is calling us." Hirashi inadvertently saved Haibach from his predicament, earning a grateful glance from his best friend. The trio moved quickly towards the center of the clearing to join the rest of the class.

The lesson had just begun.

"The focus of today's lesson is on peer teaching. I am sure all of you have sufficient knowledge on how to throw a shuriken or kunai. It's only a matter of how fast and how accurate you are. Each team is to practice separately in different clearings nearby. Your teammates will be your teachers. They will be the ones giving you advice on your throwing techniques, not me. I'll drop by occasionally to check on your progress, so don't slacken off. Besides, we'll be having a competition here when you return at noon. I'm treating the winners to something special. Dismissed." Iruka was left alone in the clearing as his students leapt away in their teams.

"So, where are we going to practice?" Haibach asked Hirashi, who was leading the way.

"Here." The trio dropped down onto the forest floor. Hirashi lightly, Serra more gracefully and Haibach clumsily. The clearing Hirashi had chosen was teeming with life. At every glance at least two species of insect could be seen. The air was filled with the buzz of their activity.

"Not a very pleasant place." Serra commented, wrinkling her nose. "Pretty humid. Smelly too." She unconsciously swatted away a few unwelcome guests from her hair.

"Yeah, it's real stuffy." Haibach tugged at the collar of his shirt trying to cool his body down. Rivulets of sweat flowed down his exposed neck. "Why are we providing the insect's with a free meal?"

Without a word to either of his comrades, Hirashi removed a shuriken from its pocket and threw it swiftly, seemingly at the branch of a tree. Upon closer inspection, the sharp point of the shuriken had neatly pined the body of a wood spider.

"Target Practice." Hirashi smiled all-knowingly and proceeded to remove his shuriken. "If you can hit moving targets, stationary ones shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Too slow." Serra criticized. Hirashi raised an eyebrow. He barely had a glimpse of the throwing needle leave Serra's hand, flash across his eyes and pierce through the exoskeleton of an unfortunate mosquito, knocking it out of the sky. "Not very accurate too. I would have sworn you were aiming for its head." Serra smirked.

"Same to you, wonder-girl." He picked up the dead mosquito and placed it before her eyes. The needle had gone through the abdomen instead of thee main body of the insect.

"Seems that we still have a lot to learn from each other." Serra laughed, a carefree tinkle that lightened the atmosphere.

"It seems so." Hirashi acknowledged with a nod and a rare smile. He was beginning to like her an awful lot. Sure, he didn't really know her yet, but that didn't mean he couldn't start liking her anyway.

Haibach glanced back and forth between the dead spider and the mosquito.

"You guys have _got _to teach me some of this shit!"

Author's note: Only one more chapter till Naruto's first appearance!


	5. The Competition

Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1

The Hirashi Chronicles 

Chapter 5: The Competition

Iruka looked across at the 38 students who had risen up to the challenge. He hadn't expected so many to join the competition. Then again, they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The winner of the competition would score bonus points for the graduation exam, not only for himself, but also for the entire team.

I must be biased to think that only a boy would win this competition, but it seems that most of the girls had opted out of it. The competitors were standing before a field approximately a 100metres across and 50 metres wide. On the opposite side of the court were 10 wooden circle targets, each with a bright red dot of paint in its' center. Different coloured rings circled the dot, denoting different points for each region. Those students not participating sat in the shade of trees on the field's left, in the general direction of the clearing they had come from.

Iruka cleared his throat. "Well, it seems we won't be going for lunch anytime soon." He joked. "There will be 3 parts to this competition. The first component deals with accuracy. The second component tests your speed, while the third combines both these elements."

"I am only in charge of the first component of this competition. You will proceed to another venue if you pass this round." He looked into the nervous, confident, cool, passionate, cocky eyes of his pupils. Iruka knew they would do him proud.

"As you can see, there are 10 targets. Each of you will be given a number and a shift. This is usually unnecessary due to the small number of participants. However, I am glad that this class is so enthusiastic." Iruka smiled broadly as his students clapped and cheered.

"Every candidate will start at the 20m mark and work backwards towards the 100m mark. You are only allowed to throw two kunai at each stage. I will personally record the points accumulated by each individual. The 8 who accumulate the most points will proceed to the next stage of the competition." A buzz of discussion erupted as competitors realized that more than ¾ of them would be ousted.

"We don't have all day. Let's start quickly." Iruka raised his voice to quell the rising tirade.

"Wait!" The shout managed to quell all but the softest of whispers. "Allow me to speed up the competition, Iruka- sensei." Hirashi flexed his arm muscles and stretched his neck. Removing a kunai from his belt with his left hand, he strode confidently towards the targets and stopped at the 60m mark. Hirashi looked over at Iruka, seeking for permission.

_What is he trying to do?_ Iruka gave a hesitant nod of assent. Immediately, the kunai left Hirashi's hand, flying straight and true, the sharp tip hit the 6th target's red dot perfectly. The kunai did not even quiver on impact.

"Nice shot, Hirashi." Iruka was only slightly surprised, as he had seen Hirashi's potential before. His classmates, though, had not, and were staring at him with wide-eyed admiration and awe. All prejudice against him had been erased in that instant. "I didn't know you were a left-handed thrower."

"I'm not." Hirashi answered. The simple statement broke the spirits of many competitors and soon, only 17 remained on the field.

"I suppose that did speed things up." Iruka concurred. "Let's not waste anymore time and begin."

"You know, that wasn't really very impressive." Serra criticized as she and Hirashi walked towards the 85m mark.

"The others didn't seem to think so." Hirashi replied coolly. He looked around. There were only three other contestants who were keeping pace with them.

One was a boy of average height with bushy eyebrows and a mop of black hair. He wore his forehead protector around his waist and was wearing a green ninja outfit. Another was a pretty dark-haired girl whose hair was tied into two buns. Hirashi recognized her vaguely from a project they had done together for the academy last year. She was one of the few girls who did not shun him away. What was her name? Ah yes, Tenten. The last was Hyuuga Neji. The boy who hated him the most. The one who considered him an abomination of his clan. It would be fun defeating him. He went back to observing Tenten, noticing her slim figure and attractive eyes for the first time. Their eyes locked and she gave him a tentative smile.

He missed his next shot.

Iruka looked at his score sheet. Tenten, Neji and Serra sported perfect scores. Hirashi had only missed once, while Lee was on par with three others who were also two down. There wasn't much competition after the last girl, Hitomi. The next highest had missed four targets entirely.

_Well, it seems that the first 8 are determined already. I wonder who will survive the next round. Serra certainly seems to have received first-class training from the village of the_ _Mists._ Iruka smiled to himself. He could not wait for the result of this one.

Iruka stood before his students, who were standing smartly in files of 3. "I shall now announce the names of the semi-finalists. They are, in no particular order, Lee, Tenten, Serra, Hitomi, Hirashi, Neji, Kasumi and Doff. Well the 8 people please step up to the front." A thunderous applause greeted the semi-finalists.

"The rest of you will need to practice harder. For the next part of the competition, I would like all of you to proceed to training ground 17. Dismissed."

An enormous pink turtle greeted the eight who arrived at the site first. "So you're the _crème de la crème_ of Iruka's class. Let's see how fast you are."

The eight students were thrown to the ground in quick succession. "Not very swift it seems." A puff of smoke revealed a tall, gangly man with thick eyebrows, much like Lee's. The pink turtle had disappeared.

"I'm Maito Gai and I'll be your sensei for the next stage of the competition. Please feel free to ask me any questions." The man gave them a wide grin, which revealed shiny teeth, and a big thumbs up. Serra rolled her eyes, but Lee seemed to be in awe of the jounin.

Gai's expression became serious. "Let me explain to you the rules. Behind me, is a forest path that goes in a roundabout route to the exit on your right. The objective of this round is to go through the path as fast as possible, while hitting the targets along the way. The targets can be anywhere so keep a sharp eye out. The speed at which you complete the course and the number of targets you hit will determine who makes it to the next round. Only 4 will be allowed to proceed from here."

"Will the first competitor please step up. Let's end this quick."

When it came to Hirashi's turn, he was nothing short of totally prepared. As he went into the first stretch, he noticed that there were an absurdly large number of targets along the path, so much so that he had to pause occasionally to ensure that he had hit them all. _This can't be the way it's supposed to be. We're being tested on speed and not skills of observation. There must be an inherent trick to this game._

As he made relatively slow progress, he found that certain targets were large and easily seen, while others were well hidden and hard to hit when on the move. He paused to examine an example of both targets. Each target had a small number scribbled next to it. _Points?_

_But the bigger targets had larger numbers than the smaller targets. That wasn't right. Shouldn't it be the other way round? But what if it was meant to be that way? Think like the examiner, Hirashi!_

_A test of speed! Why didn't I think of it before? How fast mattered more than how many targets I hit. So I only need to hit as many as I can! _Hirashi sped up, moving as fast as possible and hitting only the large, easily visible targets.

He was going to win this. He knew it.

When Hirashi finished 2 minutes before the fastest of the previous 7 timings, Gai knew he was the only one who had understood the game early. Gai had expected the Hyuuga boy to get it, but had been disappointed, even though he had clocked the second fastest timing before Hirashi. Tenten had been the fastest. Coming in forth was the exchange student from the village of the Mists. _Interesting._ Gai decided he would stay to watch these finals.

"Let's do away with the drama. The top four are Hirashi, Tenten, Neji and Serra. You have all done well, but these were the best. The venue for the next level of the competition is training ground 20. Be there." Gai treated the students to yet another of his trademark smiles and thumbs-up as they left.

Strangely, there was nobody on training ground, so the finalists waited. And waited. And waited even longer. Neji was giving Hirashi the death glare, while Hirashi pretended not to notice. He was looking at Serra and Tenten show off their acrobatics. The training ground held six targets, 3 on the left side of the field and another 3 directly opposite them.

"I wonder if Gai-sensei gave us the right location." Tenten said as she did a triple somersault in the air and landed gracefully between Neji and Hirashi.

"Sorry, I'm late, guys." A silver-haired ninja squatted atop the branch of the tree Hirashi was sitting under. "I was caught up in traffic." He chuckled.

The four finalists stared in disbelief at their sensei. The jounin had funky spiked hair and was dressed in the normal Konoha ninja fare. A thin, black fabric covered his nose and mouth, while his forehead protector was worn diagonally, such that it covered his left eye.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. In this final round, you will be pitting your skills against each other. Each competitor will defend 3 targets on his or her side of the court. The first person to have a total of five kunai on the opponents' targets wins. Shall we start with the ladies first? Tenten, you're on the left. Serra you're on the right." Both girls moved to the center of their respective playing fields and took up their fighting stances.

"Begin."

Kunai and throwing needles flew across the court, none of them striking their targets. Each girl was sizing her opponent up.

_I have the advantage on the offensive. My throwing needles are thin and harder to deflect than the larger kunai, but Tenten also has an advantage in that respect. I have to move physically to block every kunai she throws at my targets._ Serra considered her options. _I need to strike quickly before she realizes my weakness. _5 throwing needles left Serra's left hand and headed towards the target on Tenten's left. _She can't possibly block all five._

Tenten shifted her grip on the kunai in her left hand. Instead of throwing it straight, she threw it such that it spun in an arc through the air. The kunai became a spinning disc. The larger surface area it blocked easily deflected the five needles. Taking advantage of her opponent's shock, Tenten swiftly threw two shuriken at the targets on both sides with her right hand.

Serra dashed to her right to save the target, simultaneously throwing a needle to deflect the shuriken on her left. The needle knocked a tip of the shuriken with enough force to change its trajectory and spin in a wild arc. However, that was not enough. A sharp tip buried itself at the edge of the target. Two direct hits on the central target followed. Tenten had taken advantage of the exposed target as Serra rushed to defend her right target.

I'll use that tactic one more time and Serra's finished.

I can't let her attack again! I'll have to try a risky maneuver.

Serra threw a fresh volley of throwing needles at all the targets, Forcing Tenten to concentrate on blocking her attacks. Then, she rapidly launched herself upwards and threw her remaining needles at a sharp angle towards the targets.

Tenten looked up to see six needles advancing upon her targets. Five to win, so I'll just have to block two! She spun a double-bladed kunai upwards to deflect the needles aiming for her centermost target and then threw four shuriken towards Serra's targets, before she could land. Serra barely had the time to deflect 2 shuriken, but the damage had already been done.

"Tenten wins the match against Serra. 5-4." Kakashi announced. "Will Hirashi and Neji please take the left and right position respectively?" He waited patiently for the boys to prepare themselves.

"Let's begin."

The two competitors wasted no time in getting into the heat of the competition. The sounds of kunai and shuriken colliding filled the air. Both were very determined to win.

_I need to find his weakness_. The thought crossed both their minds. The constant volley stopped as both competitors had few weapons left and none dared to let his eyes stray from his opponent to pick up those on the ground.

At the sidelines, Serra caught Tenten staring intently at Hirashi. "Stop staring at him!" She demanded protectively.

Tenten looked at her strangely. "What's wrong with looking at the fighting style of future opposition? You would be doing the same if you had win the match." Tenten giggled. "Besides, he _does _have a great body. Cute too."

"What makes you so sure he'll win? You can look at Neji too!" Serra accused, jealousy flashing in her eyes.

"Just watch. He's made up his mind." Tenten smiled knowingly. "I would think you'd know him better after all that time you spend with him."

"You got that right! He's _mine_! So don't try any funny business with him."

"Oh, I don't know. HE is rather attractive." Tenten laughed as Serra clenched her fists and threatened to kill her.

At that exact moment, Hirashi began his assault. He ran straight at Neji and vaulted over him before the Hyuuga could react. He released the five shuriken between the fingers of his right hand in mid-air. The weapons hit home as Hirashi landed gently on the ground. "Checkmate!"

"That was a fluke and you know it." Neji hissed.

"Being a ninja is all about surprises." Hirashi replied.

"Hirashi wins against Neji. 5-0." Kakashi proclaimed amidst the applause of the students. "The final match will be between Hirashi and Tenten. Competitors please take your positions. You may begin."

"I won't go easy on you just because you're a boy." Tenten teased.

"I wasn't expecting you to." Hirashi laughed.

Hirashi had decided to go for another quick win by using his previous strategy early to surprise Tenten. He sprinted towards the lone girl. Unexpectedly, Tenten also charged at him. She caught his right hand with her left and twisted it behind him. Their bodies collided and Hirashi, who was out of balance, reached out to steady himself with his free hand. He clasped Tenten's body towards him to secure himself.

Their lips touched and Hirashi felt a burning sensation run down his throat as he felt Tenten's tongue exploring his mouth. His pants tightened as he felt her entire body pressed against him. Hirashi's eyes widened when he heard 5 thuds of shuriken burying themselves into his center target. Tenten had used her own free hand to remove them from his holster and throw them, while he was still floundering in their kiss.

"Boys are _so_ predictable." Tenten chided lightly, smiling coyly at him. "That was very nice, though. We should do it some other time." She released his right hand and stepped away from the shell-shocked boy. "By the way, that was my first."

"What in the world were you doing?" Serra pounced onto Hirashi's back and pounded him on the head. "I won't forgive you for this, Tenten."

Kakashi laughed to himself. He had been through that period before. "Tenten wins Hirashi 5-0 and is the champion for this competition!" All the girls cheered, while most boys were sulking either in jealousy or contempt. "The finalists are all invited to have dinner tonight at the 'Ichiraku Ramen' with Iruka. The rest of you are dismissed."

It had been a fun competition. There was no doubt about that. Kakashi made ready to leave.

"Leaving so early? We haven't even fought yet!" The challenge arose from Gai, who had been watching the competition from a nook in the tree.

"Always ready to fight you, Gai. Let's start." Both jounins went into their respective fighting stances before their 3 targets.

It was just like the old days.

Author's note: I wonder who they're going to meet at "Ichiraku Ramen'? Any suggestions besides our favourite demon?


	6. Skirmish at the Ichiraku Ramen

Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1

The Hirashi Chronicles 

Chapter 6: Skirmish at the 'Ichiraku Ramen'

The boy with straw-coloured hair dug deep into his orange vest and finally found what he was looking for. With a smile of satisfaction, he opened the frog head shaped purse and removed enough money to pay for his meal.

The man behind the counter accepted the money gracefully and then returned money enough to pay for one bowl of his ramen. The boy's eyes widened in surprise.

" That bowl is on me, Naruto. After all, you _are_ a regular customer here." The owner of the Ichiraku Ramen chuckled.

" Arigato!" Naruto replied, grinning at the shopkeeper. " I'll be sure to come tomorrow!" He skipped off his chair, leaving the mountain of bowls, once containing piping hot ramen, behind. Satisfied with his meal, Naruto turned the corner and accidentally bumped into another boy approximately his age with dark hair streaked with blue. As Naruto reached out to help him up, the boy raised his head, revealing a milky-white left eye.

Suddenly, Naruto's senses heightened incredibly. His blue eyes dilated and were coloured a deep shade of red. Similarly coloured streaks appeared on his cheeks, giving him a cat-like appearance. Naruto's fingernails elongated and became razor sharp. This was no longer the cheerful boy who had stepped out of the 'Ichiraku Ramen'. This was a new being, a _killing machine_.

Hirashi's eyes widened in surprise. " Kyrubi!" he hissed under his breath while somersaulting backwards to regain his footing.

" _So you're still alive. What a pity!"_ The nasal voice emitted did not come from Naruto, but from within him. _" Perhaps I should end your misery and allow you to join the rest of your clan!"_

Hirashi smirked. "I didn't think my opportunity to kill you would come this fast." He deftly removed a kunai form his holster and took up his fighting stance.

Hirashi crouched slightly forward with his left leg in front of his right leg. The kunai was held in his right hand in a reverse grip so Hirashi could slash with a forehand blow and cut with a backhand blow. His left hand hovered close to his holster, ready to remove either kunai or shuriken. Few ninja favoured this stance as it required excellent balance and left the back exposed to attack. However, against a single enemy, the fighting stance gave Hirashi the advantage of being able to give a swift offensive.

The Kyrubi-possessed Naruto grinned wickedly and crouched low, placing his right hand on the ground. A burst of scarlet chakra erupted from within Naruto. Numerous cracks spawned on the ground, spreading out as a circle with the golden-haired boy at its center. The power of the chakra was oppressive.

_So this was what felled my entire clan!_ Hirashi decided to take the first offensive and threw 4 shuriken at his nemesis while charging with his kunai.

A new wave of hot red chakra erupted from Naruto, deflecting the 4 shuriken easily. Naruto somersaulted backwards, easily avoiding the Hirashi's violent forehand slash. Using his right leg, he thrust himself upwards before he could land and barreled towards Hirashi.

Caught by surprise, Hirashi bore the full brunt of the Kyrubi's assault, flying backwards and connecting hard with a wall. In a flash, Naruto had Hirashi pinned against the wall with his hand against his neck. He began suffocating Hirashi methodically. A stream of bright red blood flowed steadily down Hirashi's injured forehead and mingled with the darker red blood that he was choking out. His hands struggled feebly to remove Naruto's vice-like grip on his neck.

" _Not much of a challenge, were you?"_ The unnatural voice, devoid of mercy, hissed at the dying shinobi. A scarlet tongue slipped out of Naruto's tongue and spread a trail of saliva up Hirashi's cheek. It was almost tender as it sampled the blood flowing from his forehead._ " Your mixed blood tastes pretty good. I'm going to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the rest of your clan."_

" NARUTO, STOP!" The voice registered something in Naruto's mind and he stopped strangling Hirashi. " Naruto, stop this at once." The kind voice was accompanied with a hand reached out to remove his grip from Hirashi's neck. With the lack of support, Hirashi immediately slumped to the ground, coughing out globules of blood.

Naruto's mind snapped back into control of his body as he felt the strong arms around him. " What have I done, Iruka-sensei?" He whispered in shock. Naruto stared at his bloodstained hand and could still taste Hirashi's blood on his lips. The strange thing was, some part of him _liked_ it.

"It's all right, Naruto. It's not your fault." Iruka hugged the young boy fiercely to calm him, whispering the same words again and again to comfort him. When Naruto's trembling had stopped, he then went to his knees to treat Hirashi.

However, Iruka found to his surprise that most of Hirashi's wounds had already been treated. " Who taught you healing jutsu, Hirashi?" He asked quietly.

"I did. The information was all in the shinobi library anyway, and I had the spare time." Hirashi replied weakly. _To be able to do this level of healing jutsu when he is not even a Genin, Hirashi is truly a genius shinobi. He might even surpass the 'legendary three Sannin'._

Iruka helped to heal the remaining injuries on Hirashi and then stood to bring the still shell-shocked Naruto home. " Still coming to dinner, Hirashi?" he asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Iruka-sensei. Besides, you're treating." Hirashi smiled feebly, limping into the Ichiraku Ramen and seating himself at the reserved seats. He had been beaten this time, but he would not lose when they met again. He would have to become even stronger than he was now. He swore he would.

Tenten was the first of the other finalists to arrive and she promptly seated herself beside Hirashi. She was not wearing her usual ninja garb but had chosen to wear a red silk kimono, complementing the red ribbons tied in her hair, which she had let down for the occasion. _Wow, she looks gorgeous, especially with her hair let down._ Hirashi thought to himself.

" Like what you see, Hirashi?" Tenten smiled seductively. " I can let you see more, you know…" Tenten slipped a finger under the fold of her kimono and parted it slightly. She smiled coyly at Hirashi and licked her lips to moisten them.

Hirashi caught himself staring at the slip of creamy white skin revealed by the parting kimono and quickly looked away, blushing furiously. Tenten laughed and gave him a playful peck on his cheek, causing him to blush even harder if that was possible. As Hirashi turned to tell Tenten to stop teasing him, their lips touched and both were drawn into a soul-searing kiss. Hirashi cupped Tenten's face with one hand and slipped his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss and increasing both their desires. His free hand brushed lightly against her kimono. Tenten pressed her body closer to Hirashi and let her hands stray underneath his shirt to touch his skin.

At that moment, Serra, Princess of the Waters, strode in to the Ichiraku Ramen. " WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?" She demanded of the blushing teenagers who had broken their kiss at the sound of Serra's voice.

" I can expl…" Hirashi began. " We were kissing." Tenten cut him off and smirked at Serra. " It's a thing people do when they like each other. Any opinions on that?"

Needless to say, Serra was completely livid, as she could not come up with a suitable retort to Tenten's statement. Seating herself opposite Hirashi, she resolved to butter him with death glares for the entire night. For once, Hirashi was perplexed with his feelings. He knew he did not want Serra to be angry with him. Yet, he was also happy that he had shared something special with Tenten and wanted more. _Well, you can't have everything in life, I guess._ Hirashi was reminded of his neighbour, Shikamaru, complaining how women were troublesome.

The last finalist, Neji, arrived not a minute before Iruka joined the group. Iruka had brought Naruto home and counseled him to forget the incident with Hirashi. He knew he had to report the fight to the Hokage later. What a mess! Luckily Hirashi was not critically injured. In fact, he looks just fine now.

"Ummm… Iruka-sensei, could we start ordering our food now?" Hirashi asked tentatively. Hirashi was shifting constantly, trying to ignore the glares Serra was giving him and keeping his body out of contact with Tenten at the same time.

"Sure." Iruka chuckled as he saw the adolescent squirm uncomfortably. _He still has a long way to go in terms of maturity, even if he _is_ an excellent ninja._


End file.
